1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing Short Message Service (SMS)/Multimedia Messaging Service (MSS). More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing Short Message Service (SMS)/Multimedia Messaging Service (MSS) to a convergence terminal supporting mobile communication technology and a wireless communication technology other than the mobile communication technology, when the convergence terminal is connected to a wired telephone network such as a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or an Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN) by the wireless communication technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates the configuration of a conventional wired telephone network for providing SMS and MMS.
Referring to FIG. 1, a convergence terminal 110 is enabled with the Bluetooth technology so that it acts as a wired phone when indoors. Also, it acts as a mobile communication terminal when outdoors. Thus, the convergence terminal 110 provides wired-wireless convergence services.
The convergence terminal 110 basically supports a cellular technology (for example, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)) and supports a wireless communication technology other than the cellular technology as well. Indoors, it is able to originate and terminate calls over a wired telephone network by the wireless communication technology like a wired phone.
A Bluetooth Access Point (AP) 115 processes a Bluetooth wireless communication protocol with the convergence terminal 110 and interfaces between the convergence terminal 110 and the wired telephone network for voice service.
A Local Exchange (LE) 120 is a local exchange. A Mobile Switching Center (MSC) 125 functions like an exchange of the PSTN. The MSC 125 is responsible for mobility management, location registration and management, authentication, handover, and roaming for mobile subscribers.
A Home Location Register (HLR) 127 is a database center for managing information about the states, statistics, and services of the mobile subscribers as well as the current location information of the convergence terminal 110. The HLR 127 also provides a variety of additional services including SMS, authentication service, Voice Mail Service (VMS), and so forth, and interworks with other exchanges.
A Visitor Location Register (VLR) stores part of the information about call control and service provisioning of the HLR 127. It typically resides in the MSC 125.
A Base Transceiver Station (BTS) 130 is a wireless Base Station (BS) device. It is wirelessly connected to the convergence terminal 110 and to a Base Station Controller (BSC) 135 by a cable.
The BSC 135 is located between the BTS 130 and the MSC 125 for managing and controlling the BTS 130.
The convergence terminal 110 has to conduct mobile communications over a mobile communication network, even when a mobile communication signal is weak, for SMS and MMS provisioning. Therefore, even though the convergence terminal 110 can send and receive high-quality Bluetooth signals over the wired telephone network when indoors, it has to use the mobile communication technology to receive SMS and MMS.
Accordingly, a need exists for an apparatus and method for enabling the convergence terminal to use the wired telephone network under the above-described circumstances.